Gwen Ellyson has lived that idyllic small-town life that some of us only read about, where generational bonds deepen and life gently unfolds at soccer games, church gatherings, and backyard barbecues. Born and raised in Barhamsville,
Gwen married her childhood sweetheart, Kent. They built their home across the field from Kent’s parents in the western section of town, about 30 miles away. There, they raised two daughters and continued their tradition of connecting with family and neighbors.
That tradition has expanded another generation to Gwen’s daughters, both of whom live nearby. Gwen and Kent are the proud grandparents of two—a boy and a girl—so they continue going to soccer and basketball games, school plays, and recitals or whatever else the newest generation of Ellysons is involved in. One of Gwen’s best memories is babysitting her grandkids while their parents worked. She says that she would not take anything for that experience.
Gwen has always had a deep love of nature. So, Kent planted and cultivated a large backyard garden of flowers for her. She developed a knack for designing floral arrangements, so much so that she provided them for wedding parties.
One week after Gwen’s wedding, she began working as deputy treasurer of New Kent. Twelve years later, she resigned from that job, and three months after that, she was appointed general registrar of New Kent, her job for the next 25 years. In 1984, when Gwen started her job as registrar, New Kent had approximately 6,000 registrants, most of whom she knew personally! As Gwen explained, Virginia is one of only four states that holds odd-year elections, which means that Virginia has elections every year, dating back to 1850.
Elections every year mean that the registrar is busy all the time, especially on primary and election days, when Gwen recalls setting her alarm for 3:30 a.m. so that she could be at work before the precinct officers arrived at 5 a.m. Gwen loved her job, especially helping people and gaining their trust, which she did time and time again. For her entire career, Gwen had to be apolitical. That changed—and we can thank Donald J. Trump for that. He challenged her life- long belief that every single person should be treated with kindness and respect. Period. If you want to see Gwen frustrated, engage her in a conversation on how Trump treats women, minorities, and people with disabilities.
A secret about Gwen is that she is a Deadhead. Just last month, she and her daughter caught a train to Philadelphia to hear JRAD (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead). They had such a great time, they decided to follow JRAD to D.C. for a second concert the next night. She loves going to Rooster Walk, a four-day music festival held over Memorial Day weekend, and any other concerts that her daughter and/or granddaughter are able to attend with her.